Personal pronouns: after prepositions - Easy Learning Grammar German

When a personal pronoun is used after a preposition and refers to a person, the personal pronoun is in the case required by the preposition. For example, the preposition mit is always followed by the dative case.

Ich binmit ihmspazieren gegangen.

I went for a walk with him.

When a thing rather than a person is referred to, da- is added at the beginning of the preposition:

Manuela hatte ein Messer geholt und wolltedamitden Kuchen schneiden.

Manuela had brought a knife and was about to cut the cake with it.

Note that before a preposition beginning with a vowel, the form dar- + preposition is used.

Note that these combined forms are also used after verbs followed by prepositions.

sich erinnern an + accusative case =

to remember

Ich erinnere mich nichtdaran.

I don’t remember (it).

Grammar Extra!After certain prepositions used to express movement, that is aus (meaning out or from), auf (meaning on) and in (meaning in or into), combined forms with hin and her are used to give more emphasis to the action being carried out.

Preposition

hin or her + Preposition

aus

hinaus/heraus

auf

hinauf/herauf

in

hinein/herein

Er ging die Treppe leisehinauf.

He went up the stairs quietly.

Endlich fand sie unser Zelt und kamherein.

She finally found our tent and came inside.

Sie öffnete die Reisetasche und legte die Hosehinein.

She opened the bag and put in her trousers.

Key points

When a personal pronoun referring to a person is used after a preposition, the personal pronoun is in the case required by the preposition.

When a personal pronoun referring to a thing is used after a preposition, the construction da(r)- + preposition is used.